Wichita eagle., 1887-08-24
HOW TO BOOM.

| ing the past year. Even the marvellous de
veIopment of southern California Is not to
be compared to it. A few years ago few
people had heard of Wichita at all, or Il
they had, 1t was only incidentally as stop
ping station along the line Of a railway.
But they have fair country around WITCH
tia, although in California 1t would not be
considered much where the country is bur
led in the SHOW for one third Of the veal
and parched by cruel sun for another
third. But what is better than rich soil
or benign climate, they had In
Wichita men of brains, energy,
perseverance, and intelligence They
were a tireless, restless band, and de-
termined that their own town was not
what 1t ought to be. They met and talked
and found out what they wanted. Then
they began to act. Every man of them
agreed to set aside his personal preferences
or prejudices and pull for the boom, well
knowing that If the town pIospered so
would. of necessity, they. There were no
petty chickering's, no rivalry of selfish inter
ests. Every body was for the boom heart
and soul, and, incidentally, for himself.
Then the work seemed easy enough. These
citizens met, not once month or week,
but nearly every night. The next ster and
the most important after the determination
to work together was to insist upon filling
the local newspapers with live, fresh ad
vertisements. Every body responded, and
the newspapers went out to the country
round as messengers with tales of Wichita g
prosperity. From being sickly, struggling
concerns, the papers began to assume the
airs of rugged health, the people abroad
who read them began to surmise that a
town which maintained such papers must
be a right smart place. Strangers began to
give the town some attention and suddenly
the enterprising citizens began to feel the
boom. In one year 5000 buildings were
erected and 10000 people added to the pop
ulation. Property multiplied In value In
town and all the region round. The village
became city as If In a night. Brains,
enterprise vigilance did it.
The foregoing description of Wichita, its
surroundings and the methods employed to
make it what it is. the leading city of the
southwest not to say wonder of the age, is
is from the Sacramento, Cal, Bee, and
contains two or three inaccuracies so glar-
ing as to be readily noted by all familiar
with the situation in those respects. The
country surrounding Wichita is not only
fair country, but is extraordinary In the
fertility of the soil and in the wide range of
its productiveness; unsurpassed, in fact, by
any section of like extent on the continent.
Nor is the country buried In snow one
third Of the year and parched by cruel
sun for another third. AS TO our winters
they are ordinarily of short duration, not
severe, and with but little snow, most fire.
quently not enough to make day of sue
cessful sleighing. Nor yet is the country
parched by cruel sun, for taking the
present season, which has been of unusual
severity in heat and drouth throughout the
country, and it can be truthfully said that
southern Kansas has not suffered
as a whole, worse than any other portion
of the country, in fact, it has been wonder
fully blessed in these respects as compared
with many other portions, as for instance
Iowa, Wisconsin. Michigan, northern Illi-
nois and Indiana. Not fatal case of sun.
stroke has occurred within the state during
the season, and with the exception of cir
cumscribed limit in few localities crops
have not been destroyed by drouth but the
yield will be more than any average one.
Another error in the Bees statement is
its reference to the course pursued by the
people In pushing the local papers forward
The EAGLE at least denies such imputation,
and while it is not immodest enough to
claim credit for all that has been accom-
plished In the upbuilding of this great city,
it does say without the fear Of successful
that 1t was not until after
weeks and months and years of unceasing
and presentation in these columns
Of the grand possibilities of this
country and the evident Ito us)
destiny of Wichita to become
great city, that the people caught the In
spiration and joined the procession, so to
speak. True the EAGLE has enjoyed
fair advertising patronage, but 1t has been
because the business men of the city recog-
nized that 1t was a valuable advertising
medium and availed themselves of it, not
In response to solicitation or as a means of
the town, but purely and simply
as matter Of business. Neither has there
been at any time concerted action on the
part of the people as community; no
daily or nightly meetings nor public meet
ings Of any kind or at any time for the
purpose of devising methods to boom the
town.
Wichita is and is to be a great city be
cause of her matches location as to terri
tory, her environments that impelled her
into existence and Incompatible growth,
and to the persistent proclaiming of these
facts to the world through these columns
and otherwise.
With the exceptions noted and others
hat might be pointed out the Bees OBJ
servations are passably correct
A few days ago mention was made in
these columns of a scheme alleged to be in
a state of incubation by which payment of
at least portion Of Virginias state debt
was to be obtained from the United States
government. Following close upon this
comes the announcement Of the revival Of
the Confederate bond question In England
and that the parties controlling the bonds
are ma king elaborate plans for realizing
on them. If by any means the